


Perfection Only Exists in Moments

by Inspired_and_Tired



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Soft Harley, parkner secret santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:20:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21955777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inspired_and_Tired/pseuds/Inspired_and_Tired
Summary: In all honesty, Harley may not be the most observant person on the planet, but he’s certainly not dumb. So while his dumbass best friend (he may or may not be in love with) tries to hide that’s somethings wrong, Harley does what any normal person would do and tries to get to the bottom of things. As for Peter, he never really claimed to be the most subtle person alive.
Relationships: Harley Keener & Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Harley Keener/Peter Parker, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Comments: 2
Kudos: 183





	Perfection Only Exists in Moments

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, so this is my first fic I’ve ever posted. It’s dedicated to call-me-bread on tumblr for the Parkner Secret Santa so I hope you like it! Happy Holidays!

In general, Harley likes to think he’s fairly observant. Sure, sometimes stuff flies past him in a mixture of confusion and bewilderment but overall he notices a lot. Which is why when he befriended Peter Parker, concern quickly began to bloom in the back of his mind.  
  
Harley moved to New York to expand his education, or well, that was the main reason. With his mother's blessing, he moved in with Tony and Pepper, began school at Midtown Tech, settled into an internship with Stark Industries, and started to build a life in New York.  
  
Harley met Peter not long after moving in and from there they developed a close friendship. When he finally started school they began to grow closer as they spent more time together and Harley integrated himself into Peter's 'Nerd Squad.' Not long after he arrived in New York, Harley kinda-sorta accidentally fell head over heels for Peter.  
  
The more attention he payed to Peter the more his concern grew. Harley watched as Peter limped around, badly concealing injuries, and suffered in silence. He was there to observe faded and fresh bruises and cuts that never seemed to stop appearing across his skin. As weeks wore on and Harley continued to watch Peter, anxiety began to bubble in his stomach at the thought of what could be causing the obvious injuries.  
  
When asked, Peter always shrugged his pain off by dismissing himself as clumsy, but Harley knew better. He watched Peter's pain but he was also there for every good moment. Harley observed as Peter dodged oddly placed tables with ease, never ceasing to avoid stubbing his toe or bruising an appendage. Peter never failed to move with a fluidity and grace that made him all the more attractive. So forgive him, if he didn't believe that Peter was simply clumsy.  
  
But Harley had met Aunt May, he was almost positive the injuries couldn't be coming from her. He didn't underestimate that she had the strength to cause such pain, but he doubted she had the anger. Harley understood what kind of callousness it took to abuse a child and he wasn't sure that Peter's caring and gentle Aunt May had it in her. He resolved to figure out was going on, if only for the sake of Peter Parker's safety.  
  
As the months wore on and fall turned to a dreary recession in between the last leaves of autumn and the first snows of winter, Harley finally found an opening to figure Peter out. With May heading off on a trip for work, Peter was left to inhabit the Stark penthouse until she came back. Harley was overjoyed to spend the extra time with the younger boy, but as he continued to observe fresh bruises and injuries it became hard not to worry.  
  
During the third day of Peter's stay, a Saturday night, Harley clawed his way out of a troubled sleep at nearly two in the morning. Knowing Peter had a tendency to be restless at night as well, he slipped out of bed and made his way to the other boy's room. Slipping inside, Harley immediately was confused to be greeted with emptiness and silence. Not being one to do the things the hard way, Harley asked for help in FRIDAY.  
  
"Fri, do you know where Peter's at?" As he waited for a response worry gnawed at him.  
  
"Mr. Parker is currently not in the building."  
  
Immediately, Harley whipped out his phone and frantically texted Peter multiple times. Deciding to wait for the younger boy to reappear, he settled himself on Peter's bed and mindlessly played a game on his phone. A good hour later, the door to the room slides open, revealing a battered looking Peter Parker.  
  
"Harley?" Peter mumbles out in confusion and alarm.  
  
Harley's eyes slid over his frame in concern. The younger boy was dressed in boxers and a T-shirt and looked like he got into a nasty bar fight.  
  
"What the-actually you know what? Never mind. Come on let's get you patched up."  
  
Gently, he grabs Peter's hand and drags him towards the bathroom, knowing it's stocked with first aid supplies. Harley wordlessly gestures for him to take a seat as he begins rifling around and pulling out supplies.  
  
"Harlz, seriously it's fine," Peter tries to reassure but doesn't get very far as he's cut off with a harsh look.  
  
"Take your shirt off," Harley commands trying not to blush. Peter, however, has no such luck and turns bright red as he slowly pulls off his shirt. Harley lets out a low noise as the extent of Peter injuries are revealed. He quickly sets to work cleaning and patching up numerous cuts and scrapes while checking for more serious injuries. Even sitting on the counter, Peter manages to be the same height as Harley. While cleaning up Peter's battered hands he speaks up.  
  
"What happened?" Momentarily he allows Peter to try to shrug it off before cutting in. "And don't say it's nothing because this happens way too often for it to be 'nothing'!"  
  
"It is nothing! I'm fine." Gently, Harley trails his fingers along a particularly nasty bruise on Peter's shoulder, noting the way the younger boy leans into his touch. He lifts his hand to Peter's chin, turning the boys head slightly as to have better access to a cut along his cheek.  
  
"Peter, I'm worried about you," He admits softly while disinfecting the wound. Again, the younger boy doesn't respond, instead he simply casts his eyes to the floor. Harley uses his pinky to smear Neosporin across the cut, trying to be as gentle as possible while thinking of ways to get Peter to talk to him. "I want you to be safe and happy and you're very clearly not either of those as getting beat up all the time can't possibly make you happy!"  
  
Peter flinches like the words physically hurt him. In a moment of defiance he makes the choice to retaliate, "Why do you even care? It's not like it's any of your business!"  
  
It's Harley's turn to flinch. He fights desperately to remain calm and ignore the anxiety burning in his stomach while still dabbing a cotton ball soaked with peroxide across Peter's scraped elbow.  
  
"In case you've been too preoccupied to notice, I really care for you, so excuse me for being concerned if my best friend is a secret masochist!"  
  
Harley regrets shouting the second the words leave his mouth but it gets the anger to seep out of Peter's tense shoulders.  
  
"I'm not a masochist-"  
  
"Pete, if your in a bad situation just tell me. You've got so many people on your side, we can help you I promise. Just give me a chance," Harley begs as he tries to keep the pressure of tears at bay. He barely catches the horror that widens Peter's eyes.  
  
"What-no! Harley it's not like that-it's just...ugh! I don't know-" Peter tries to ramble out before stopping himself short. "Woah, Harley, why are you crying? It's fine, I'm fine, we're fine!" Despite the situation Harley manages to produce a smile as Peter squeaks so bad his voice cracks. Sighing slightly, he tries to rub the tears out of his eyes but only succeeds in emphasizing the redness of them.  
  
"It's just...I really like you Peter! Hell, I'm practically in love with you! And your hurting and in pain and you won't trust me and I just want to help!" Harley watches helplessly as Peter's eyes widen again to stare incredulously at him.  
  
"You-you can't..." Harley's nose flairs dangerously as Peter stumbles over his denial.  
  
"I can't what Pete?"  
  
"Like me! You can't like me!" Stunned, Harley takes a second to stare at Peter, who still hasn't gotten off the counter or put on a shirt.  
  
"Why not?" He can't help it, his voice comes out both incredulous and hurt and it takes a lot to not let tears spill over his eyes.  
  
"Because-because I....I'm Spider-Man! And everyone who knows is in danger and now that includes you! Everyone who gets close to me gets burned, Harley, and I can't let that happen to you too. I can't let something happen to you because of me!"  
  
Harley's world momentarily stops spinning. Everything clicks into place all at once, every bruise, every injury, every time Peter disappeared. His stomach rolls as he thinks about all the battles Spider-Man (Peter, his mind corrects) has been in recently. All the dangerous fights he was a part of, the crimes he's stopped, the people he's defended. Even through the absolute fear he feels for Peter, he can't help but reconcile with the fact that it makes sense. Everything makes more sense, the random injuries, the sudden disappearances, Peter's hypervigilance, everything.  
  
Harley is stunned but he still manages to have the sense to register the panicking boy before him. Tears are streaming down Peter's cheeks, his eyes bright red, and his breathing heavy and quick.  
  
"Woah, woah, woah Pete, I'm gonna need you to take a breath with me real quick okay?" Harley then mimics taking a deep breath and exhaling while gesturing for Peter to do the same. Peter hiccups through the majority of them but at least he's less likely to pass out.  
  
"Okay, now I'm gonna do some talking real quick. Pete, I need you to understand that how I feel towards you is my choice and know that you can't stop me from caring for you, it's not gonna happen." Peter hiccup sobs again and Harley waits for him to catch his breath before continuing. "I'm asking you to be my boyfriend or at least go on a single date with me. Understand that I'm not going to harass you if you say no, but I'm asking you to consider your answer purely based on whether or not you have a romantic attraction towards me. I'm willing to face everything that comes our way by your side and none of the people that care about you, including me, are gonna back down in the face of danger without a fight." He watches as Peter flits through many emotions, a few seeming like the stages of grief.  
  
He takes a shaky deep breath, nods slightly, and then opens his mouth.  
  
"Uh-yeah. I really want that."  
  
Harley knows his eyes widen because he definitely wasn't expecting Peter to actually agree that quickly. Although, he’s well aware Peter’s probably been on the receiving end of the same lecture several times. Gently, Harley cups Peter's battered cheek.  
  
"Can I kiss you?" He asks softly. Peter nods shakily and slowly they both lean forward. The next thing Harley's brain registers is Peter's chapped lips on his. It's a sloppy kiss, they're both too emotional and too unskilled for it to be perfect, but to Harley it's the best kiss he'll every receive. When they pull away a few moments later, Peter has a dopey grin on his face paired with drooping eyes.  
  
"Darling, I think you need to get some sleep."  
  
Peter doesn't even deny the assessment. In fact, he's too busy yawning to argue. Harley helps him off the bathroom counter, carefully looking him over to check for any missed injuries. Peter changes into sweats quickly, opting to keep his shirt off, and Harley won't deny that it's a struggle not to stare.  
  
It's not like they haven't slept together before, neither of them enjoy sleeping alone and lets be real, they've been pining for a while so naturally they've toed the line of friendship. However, tonight Harley is internally panicking as he stands at the end of Peter's bed and watches him crawl under the sheets. He's not sure if now that they're dating, Peter would be uncomfortable with him sleeping over, but also he sure as hell won't be getting any sleeping done if he has to go back to his empty room.  
  
Resolutely, Harley approaches Peter, who's already got the blankets tucked up to his nose. He drops a kiss to his new boyfriends forehead, whispers 'goodnight,' and then hesitates to leave.  
  
Clearly not in the mood to put up with Harley's awkwardness, Peter tugs his hand unexpectedly so Harley stumbles towards him.  
  
"Stay with me?" Peter mumbles sleepily, his eyes blinking at Harley owlishly from just above his covers. The dim lighting accentuates the dark bags under his eyes, making Harley less inclined to deny his request. Raising a single eyebrow as Peter burrows toward the middle of his bed to make room for Harley, he slips under the sheets. Peter snuggles close to him, let's out a contented sigh, and closes his eyes. Harley hums softly and kisses his head, and not more than a minute later the boy tucked close to his chest is asleep.  
  
For Harley, falling asleep takes longer. He understands the vulnerability of sleeping next to someone. It requires a level of trust allowing a person to have access to you in such a defenseless state. He also knows Peter is very much aware of this as well, yet lacks the alertness to recognize it through his sleep deprivation. He's certainly not as sleep deprived as Peter, so he smiles to himself for a while before finally slipping off to sleep.  
  
The following morning, he's by far the earliest riser out of the two of them. Somewhere around nine o'clock, Harley drifts into consciousness entangled with Peter. Knowing how tired the younger boy always is, Harley opts to chill instead of waking him up. He's content to just enjoy the relaxation of his weekend morning, for once not having any pressing obligations for a while.  
  
As weird as it sounds, Harley takes comfort in watching Peter sleep. It solidifies the idea in his mind that they're going to be okay. The cut on Peter's cheek Harley distinctly remembers cleaning is no longer visible, something he chalks up to a weird Peter side-effect he'll need to ask about later. At some point of Harley enjoying his morning, he falls back asleep, only to wake up again an hour later.  
  
This time, Harley rolls over, subsequently disturbing Peter who groans as he awakens. He watches as Peter squints his eyes, yawns, and then catches sight of Harley and beams. Harley can’t help but grin back.  
  
“’Morning sleepyhead.” He then leans in slightly, pausing for a brief moment so Peter has a chance to pull away if he wants, and then kisses him softly. When he pulls away, a soft blush is on Peter’s cheeks and, if even possible, Harley’s smile grows larger. This just makes Peter blush harder, promptly burying his face in his pillow.  
  
“Shut up,” He whines lifting his head to glare at Harley. He smirks at Peter, causing him to wrinkle his nose in indignation.  
  
“I didn’t say anything,” Harley defends jokingly.  
  
He rolls his eyes teasingly as Peter responds, “It’s just the way your face looks.” He then nudges Peter, who grumpily scoots closer to him. The moment softens as Peter reaches out to move one of Harley’s stray hairs and then plants a kiss on his forehead.  
  
“Alright cowboy, I’m hungry.”  
  
This statement is followed but Peter jumping out of bed and Harley following much slower, never one for getting out of bed quickly. While Peter goes to get changed in the bathroom, Harley decides the trek to his room is much too long so he opts for stealing one of Peter’s hoodies off a chair. To be honest, Harley and Peter are relatively similar in height and weight so the hoodie settles around him comfortably. Thankfully, Peter’s smelly boy phase passed a while so his hoodie smells of shampoo and cologne. Peter smiles as they start walking to the kitchen together.  
  
“Nice hoodie.”  
  
“Thanks, it’s new,” Harley jokes and slings an arm around Peter’s shoulders.  
  
In the kitchen, Pepper is seated at the island reading away on her laptop while Tony scrolls through his phone next to her. They both look up and Peter playfully places a quick kiss on Harley’s lips.  
  
“Finally!” Tony crows, nudging Pepper. “I told you.”  
  
She rolls her eyes and then address the boys, “There’s leftover pancakes in the fridge along with fruit and yogurt.”  
  
They eat breakfast and as Peter races off to choose a movie to watch, Harley remains in the kitchen by himself for a moment.  
  
He clicks open his phone and dials the number of someone he knows is going to love to here about him and Peter.  
  
“Hello?” A feminine voice fills Harley ear and he immediately grins.  
  
“Hey Ma, you’ll never guess what happened...”  
  
And as Harley begins rambling about his amazing boyfriend, he can’t help the giddy feeling that fills his chest, because for a moment everything is perfect.


End file.
